The advantages to true design build in residential design and construction

1. DESIGN + BUILD
CONSTRUCTION

2. The Power of Design and Construction
Traditional design-bid-build is changing. Under the traditional
approach, design and construction services are split into separate
entities, separate locations, and separate work. Design-build,
however, is a method of project delivery in which one entity – the
design-build team – works under a single company with the
project owner, or homeowner, to provide design and construction
services as a turnkey product.
“This simple but fundamental difference saves money
and time by transforming the relationship between
designers and builders into an alliance which fosters
collaboration and teamwork."
-The Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA)
In this whitepaper, we compare the two project delivery methods,
seek to understand process flow, and evaluate the outcomes
produced by the two.
Understanding the traditional approach and what was happening
in the industry at the time of its inception is critical to
understanding how this new project delivery method evolved.

3. 53 percent of owners suffered
one or more under performing
projects in 2014.
percent of owners’ projects31
came within 10 percent of
budget in the past three years.
percent of owners called a43
more integrated project delivery
approach “the most exciting
trend in facilities” in 2014,
versus just 8 percent in 2013.
31%
53%
43%
Source: 2015 KPMG Global
Construction Project Owner’s Survey
Industry Averages Drive a Need for Change
Many design and construction projects
were managed and delivered in a way that
made cost and outcomes unpredictable.
As a result, owners began demanding
alternative methodologies that provided
enhanced solutions and predictability.
Using Process to Achieve Goals
An integrated project delivery model
is proven to optimize project results,
increase value to the owner, reduce waste
and maximize efficiency through the
various phases of design, fabrication and
construction. We are committed to achieving
these results for our clients to positively
impact their lives and our industry.
Key Outcomes
Effective Stakeholder Communication
Speed to Market
Improved Cost Controls
Guarantee of Price & Schedule
Reduced Risk
Superior Design & Construction Quality
Assurance of Outcomes
Process Efficiencies

4. 4 |
The Value of Design-Build
Construction
Design-Build Construction (DBC) brought
value to people investing in new construction
by numerous measures. Driven by the desire
to improve, DBC has already created vast
improvements in the industry.
Effective Stakeholder Communications
The underperformance of historical delivery models
noted in industry surveys and studies pointed to the
need for new solutions. It also pointed to the fact
that models focused on multiparty agreements
increased the likelihood for communication
breakdowns and errors.
DBC gives the owner a single-point of contact and
responsibility throughout the life of a project. This
leads to streamlined effective communications and
helps to eliminate errors and change orders that
stem from miscommunication. As an integrated team,
designers and builders work seamlessly so that when
issues or challenges arise, they are solved
collaboratively and within target timelines and
budgets.
Improved Cost Controls and Guaranteed Price
One of the key benefits of the DBC model is the ability
for the team to guarantee price for the client. The
synchronization of the design and construction teams
allows project teams to solve problems without
sacrificing adherence to budget. Moreover, the DBC
model treats the project budget as a living document
that tracks current pricing against the budget
throughout the duration of design. This provides an
evolving snapshot of current costs and opportunities
to constantly look for savings, ensuring the owner is
receiving the best value for every dollar spent.
Speed to Market
An inherent benefit of DBC is its ability to streamline
the process of concurrent activities with the increased
comfort level that exists between the designers on the
A/E side and the construction managers on the
construction side. This state-of-the-art project delivery
method of integrating people, systems and practices,
undoubtedly optimizes results by reducing waste and
maximizing efficiency. This single source alliance,
structured to carefully monitor these concurrent
activities throughout the various phases of design and
construction, results in streamlined workflows that
reduce time consuming redundancies normally
associated with this type of overlapping scheduling
methods.
Reduced Risk
In the traditional design-bid-build method, multiple
providers are used for the various tasks required.
This separate engagement of architect/engineer,
contractor, and other parties means there is no
single party responsible for overseeing the entire
project, and the owner is at risk for nearly all
outcomes.
Because there are no guarantees to the owner that
the merging of two distinct and separate entities will
result in an effective relationship where problems
are solved quickly and communications are
effective, these relationships often go off-course.
Missed completion dates and costly delays
can lead to significant legal issues in
determining what party should be held
accountable for problems that arise.
Improved Collaboration
With our single-source delivery’s improved
collaboration, all project participants align
incentives and the organizational structure
is flattened, whereby each stakeholder is
responsible for the establishment of
common ground rules focused on a
commitment to cost, schedule and quality,
enhancing predictability of outcome.

5. Traditional Single Source
Project Model Delivery
These bottom-line issues have led growing numbers of owners to abandon the “cross your fingers and hope for
the best” design-bid-build method in favor of a more certain facility construction process – Design-Build. This
process is preferred by more people because it reduces the risk of performance error and increases quality
through the assumption of full responsibility by a single entity. Not only does this simplify the process, it transfers
risk from the owner to the Design-Builder.
Financial Risk Is Minimized Through Early Cost Identification
With Design-Build, risk reduction begins at the design stage. Construction specialists are an integral
part of the design team, so construction implications are addressed early. The team works together to
decide the most cost-effective materials and methods of delivery before a design is finalized, which
enables them to provide more accurate costs and better scheduling up front. And because the same
group is responsible for both drawings and functional performance, the possibility of expensive
surprises in the construction phase is virtually eliminated. Too often with design-bid-build, design
impracticalities are discovered during construction, which leads to increased cost, blown schedules,
and finger pointing between architect, engineer, and contractor.
Superior Design & Construction Quality
One of the challenges for single-source delivery in recent years is the marketplace viewed it as a contractor-led
process with more focus on completion than quality. DBC stands out as it is “architect-led” meaning it gives
enhanced importance to architecture and the overall design quality of a project. This is key for owners who want to

6. create cost-effective yet architecturally significant homes. The DBC model sets forth the idea that owners don’t
have to choose one or the other, but can still have both.
Assurance of Outcomes
With the design and construction teams united, the owner is ensured that what is designed is built. This means
final solutions look like rendered ideas and organizations never need to compromise the facilities and spaces they
desired during the design phase.
Process Efficiencies
Our delivery streamlines the process with a single point of contact for the design and construction of the project.
The contract is fully inclusive of all services and products to be delivered by the team. With the builders and
designers working in partnership throughout the course of the project, the builders gain a thorough knowledge of
the design intent and the designers can thus defer the time-consuming details to the builders for a more productive
outcome. With superior project control and enhanced communication, critical value decisions are made earlier
than would be possible in the otherwise traditional linear delivery methods.

7. 4 |
Won the Best in American Living Award
Design + Construction
“[Their] unique ability to understand
what we wanted, then design it and build it
with very little involvement on our part, was
a significant reason why we recommended them
to three of our friends, & will continue to do so.”
Steve Kopenitz
Horseshoe Bay, TX
Suspended 21’ in the air
Located in the 100-year floodplain

8. Elevating Residential Design and Construction to Encompass
Lifestyle, Health and Lowered Stress
The Design Build Model Creates a Better Experience
We leveraged our design-build construction (DBC) delivery model to create this 8,000+ square foot
second home while the owners lived out of town and traveled extensively. This total design-build
construction DBC model streamlined administration activities including RFI’s, submittals and approval
processes, while also reducing time-consuming redundancies between design-builder and trade
contractors. We enhanced the concurrent design and construction processes with 3-D modeling (BIM),
allowing the fully integrated team to anticipate constructability problems before they became an issue
and to inform the owners of both exterior and interior specifications. Ultimately, they visited the project
to see the home while under construction only four times, and it was delivered to them on time and on
budget exactly to their specifications.

9. 6 |
Austin Business Journal
Texas A&M University
Texas Association of Builders
National Association of Home Builders
Houzz.com
Texas Association of Builders
110+total design awards won
combined years of experience
2.5+decades in business
110+